Vacuum cleaner



Nov. 20, 1956 R. c. OSBORN 2,771,151

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug. 11, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent VACUUM CLEANER Ralph C. Osborn, Bloomington, Ill.

Application August 11, 1953, Serial No. 373,541

1 Claim. (Cl. 183-37) My invention relates to vacuum cleanersparticularly of the canister type. inefficiency of operation frequentlyresults from an accumulation of dirt in the cleaner bag at the portionof the bag where air is drawn through it. This accumulation of dirtblocks the interstices of the bag and places an additional strain on themotor in that the suction fan is required to draw air through a cloggedcleaner bag.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner inwhich the conventional cleaner bag is so positioned in the cleaner as tomaintain the accumulated dirt out of the suction area.

Another object of my invention is to provide a suction means providedwith a convex foraminous member so as to deform the conventional cleanerbag into a suction area and a dirt receiving trough which is spaced fromthe suction area.

The drawing forming a part of this specification shows a cross sectionof my vacuum cleaner in which there is disclosed an upper chamber Wallhaving a shoulder 12 defining an opening adapted to receive a cover 14to which a handle 16 is pivotally attached. The cover also includeslocking means adapted to cooperate with screw threaded means 20 toremovably lock the cover in position. The cover is provided with acollar 22 comprising a generally cylindrical nozzle and coupling means24 to rotatably receive a cleaner hose connector 26. A diaphragm 28 issecured to an annular flange 29 at the lower .edge of the chamber wall10.

The diaphragm 28 divides the low and high pressure chambers and isprovided with an annular shoulder 30 defining an opening 32 in thediaphragm. A resilient ring gasket 34 is carried by the shoulder 30. Thebottom or high pressure chamber consists of a pan having a wall 36 towhich is attached a hose coupling outlet 38. The bottom of the pansection has a recessed portion 40. The upper opening in pan wall 36 isadapted to be engaged by the underside of the peripheral edge of thediaphragm 28 so that the high and low pressure chambers may be placed injuxtaposed position.

Mounted on the gasket surrounding the opening 30 and the diaphragm 28 isa fan and motor housing 42 surrounding the suction means and whichhousing extends up into the low pressure chamber. This fan housing isopen at its upper end and has placed thereon a generally convex,generally hemispherical foraminous member 44 fitted to the peripheraledge of said housing and extending further upwardly into said lowpressure chamber.

A cleaner bag 46 having a gasketed neck portion 48 is adapted to be heldsecurely between the cover 14 and the annular shoulder 12. The cleanerbag is fabricated of a woven material capable of permitting the passageof air but of such texture that it will retain dust particles within thebag. The cleaner bag is of such size that it may be inserted in the lowpressure chamber with a portion 49 of the bag resting on the foraminousmember 44 which defines the suction area. This portion of the bag willassume the contour of the member 44. The additional In vacuum cleanersgenerally in use,

2,771,151 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 portion of the bottom of the cleanerbag will overhang the foraminous member forming an annular trough 50about the upper portion of the fan housing. This trough portion of thebag is of sufficient area so as to be spaced from and below the suctionarea 49 of the bag.

. The suction means including the motor, fan and fan housing togetherwith the foraminous member 44 may be held in place by means of a bracket52 supporting the motor and secured to the fan housing 42. The bracket52 carries U bolts 54 holding a bar 56 to which is welded a threadedbolt 58 adapted to extend through an opening in the recessed portion 40of the bottom pan wall.. A nut 60 may be threaded on bolt 58 to hold thesuction means against the resilient ring gasket 34 on the diaphragm 28and also to hold the upper and lower chambers in engaged position. I

The motor may be connected to a source of. electrical power by means ofwires 62 connected through a switch 64 carried by pan wall 36.

In the operation of my cleaner, air containing dirt particles is drawninto the low pressure chamber through the hose connector 26. The dirtparticles will be trapped by the cleaner bag along the suction area 49,which suction area is defined by the convex portion of the foraminousmember 44. Continued operation of the cleaner will result in anaccumulation of dirt particles along the surface 49 of the cleaner bagand the vibration of the motor and foraminous member 44 permitted by theresilient ring gasket 34 will operate to accomplish a shaking motion andcause the accumulated dirt particles to roll down the'convex surface ofthe bag into the trough 50 and away from the suction area.

It is, of course, usual in vacuum cleaner operations to move the cleanerfrom place to place about the enclosure to be cleaned and during suchmoving, the suction means is rendered inoperative. This moving aboutwith frequent jars or bumps Will operate to accomplish an additionalshaking of the dirt particles which may be ac cumulated on the surface49 down into the trough 50. This additional moving about when thesuction means is inoperative will result in the displacement into thetrough of dust particles which may have been retained on the surface 49during a cleaning operation by means of the suction produced by thesuction fan.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provideda vacuum cleaner having a novel construction resulting in the removal ofdust particles from the suction area of the cleaning bag. With such aconstruction it is readily apparent that the cleaner bag will not haveto be removed to dispose of the accumulated dirt until such time as thedirt in the trough extends above the suction area of the cleaner bag. Itwill also be readily apparent that with the construction disclosed, theefficiency of the suction means will be greatly enhanced in that duringthe operation of the cleaner, the dirt and dust particles are preventedfrom accumulating in the suction area, thereby insuring a suctionsurface of the cleaner bag which will readily permit the flow of airtherethrough.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do notWish to be limited to the specific details thereof set forth and I wishto avail myself of all the modifications which may come within the scopeof the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising an upstanding wallprovided with a top having an inlet opening disposed centrally thereofand provided with an annular bottom Wall presenting an outlet opening inregister with the inlet opening, an imperforate, open ended cylindricalfan housing extending axially upwardly from the inner marginal edgeportion of said bottom wall defining the -outlet opening therein withthe outer surface of said housing being spaced inwardly from the innersurface of said upstanding wall, a fan mounted within said housing fordischarging air through said outlet to create a subatmos-:pheric-pressure within the chamber definedby said top, bottom andupstanding Walls, a generallyhemispherical mainder of the bottom of thebag extending below the open upper edge of the fan housing and below thesaid efiective foraminous portion to encompass a substantial portion ofthe upper end of the fan housing, and the neck .of the bag being securedin depending relation from said top wall of the chamber whereby thatportion of the bag which encompasses the upper end of the imperforatefan housing forms 'an annular dust c'ollectingspace, and

an inlet fitting projecting through said inlet opening and directeddownwardly to discharge incoming air toward and through the center ofthe efiective foraminous portion of said member and axially through saidfan housing whereby the dust collecting space is disposed within an areaof relative quiescence, and resilient means disposed between said innermarginal edge of the bottom wall and said fan housing, wherebyvibrations of said fan will be transmitted from the fan housing to saidforaminous member to shake said collectingbag and deposit accumulateddirt withinsaid annular dustcollecting space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,605,858 Lang Aug. 5, 1952 2,652,902 Sheahan Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGNPATENTS 2719,858 Great Britain .Mar. 8, 1928

